Fruit-box cover



(No Model.) Y

W. F. ELLSWOR'TH. FRUIT. BOX COVER.

No. 532,652. Patented Jan; 15, 1 895.

Y ,NiT'ED STATES PATENT OFFIC WILLIAM F. ELLS'WORTH,; OF MADISON, WISCONSIN.

FRUIT-BOX COVER.

SPEGIFIGATIEON forming part 'of Letters Patent No. 532,652, dated January 15, 1895.

Application filed May 28,1894. Serial No. 512,701. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. ELLSWORTH, of Madison, in the county of Dane and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fruit-Box Covers, of which cover is adapted to be placed over the box and secure and protect the contents thereof temporarily, the cover being easily and quickly applied to the'box.

The cover is especially adapted for the use of retail dealers of fruit, particularly berries in boxes, for covering such boxes quickly and inexpensively when delivered to a purchaser, and thereby obviating a'more expensive wrapping that would require considerable time in putting it on.

In the drawings, Figure 1, is a plan of a form of the cover as prepared for market, and for use. Fig. 2, is an elevation of one side of a fruit box, on which box my improved cover is placed and to which it is attached. Fig. 3, is a vertical section of a fragment of the 'box, showing also a fragmentof the cover and the means and method of securing it to the .box. Fig. 4 is a fragment of the cover, also showing the cover-fastener, and the method of .attaching it to the cover.

My improved cover is made of some inexpensive flexible material, preferably of Manila paper, and consists of an integral sheet A of the paper, which is of such size and form, as to have a central or main part B, of sufficient size to cover the top of the box, and flaps 0 extending from the edges of the central part,which flaps are adapted to be folded down against the sides of the box.

In the single form of cover shown in the drawings, the sheet A is substantially square and of such size that a square box D is just covered by the central part of the sheet, when the sheet is placed over it diagonally, or so that the lines passing diagonally through the opposite corners of the cover will cross the box centrally parallel respectively with two The sheet might vary in form somewhat from the sheet shown and still be within the spirit of my invention, especially when the box instead of being square is oblong, or hexagonal, or even round, but as most berry boxes are substantially square, and as my improved cover is especially adapted for use with such boxes,"I have deemed it necessary to show only this one form of cover. This form of cover is also as inexpensive as any form of cover can be, as it utilizes all the material of the large sheets of paper from which these sheets or box covers are cut.

The fasteners E by which the cover is secured to the box, consist severally of a thin strap of metal, conveniently of sheet tin, and preferably cut so that one end I is sharp pointed, being thus adapted to be readily thrust through the sheet of paper from the outside, and turned down against the surface of the paper on the inside, and thereby secured to the flap, substantially in the manner shown in Fig. 4. These straps E are of'='such length and are so fastened in the flaps O, that when the cover is placed on the box and the flaps O are turned down against the outer sides of the box, the straps will reach somewhat below the lower edge of the sides of the box, and in securing the cover on the box are turned under and up against the inner surface of the walls of the box, below its bottom G in the manner shown at H in Fig. 3.

It will be understood that this cover as prepared for the market is in the form shown in Fig. 1, and consists of the sheet A and the thereto attached metal fasteners E, and that when this cover is put into use, it is placed over the box so that the central part of the sheet will cover it, and the flaps G are turned down against its sides, and the metal fasteners E are quickly bent under and up against the inner sides of the walls of the box, Where by the cover is temporarily and sufficiently secured to the box.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, i sl. A fruit box cover comprising a sheet of flexible inexpensive material of such size and form that its central part will cover the top of the box and its corners or projections will extend overand turn down as flaps against the sides of the box, and metal straps secured to down against the sides of the box, and fasteners consisting of strips of thin sheet metal secured to the flaps and of such length as adapts them to be turned under the box over which the coverfits, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature :5

in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM F. ELLSWORTII. \Vitnesses:

ANNA V. FAUST, C. T. BENEDICT. 

